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Tussie
Mussie
A
tussie-mussie or word poesy is a small circular nosegay
of flowers and herbs, tightly gathered and designed
to carry a special message in the language of flowers.
The traditional tussie-mussie is composed of fragrant
herbs surrounding one central flower, a rose.
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A
Bit of History
A
tussie mussie is an aromatic little nosegay of flowers
and herbs that goes back to medieval times in Europe.
The words "tussie mussie" meant "sweet
posey" in an era when sanitation left much to
be desired and fresh air was considered harmful.
Originally,
these little nosegays were primarily made of scented
medicinal herbs, like rosemary, thyme and rue, that
were believed to ward off the plague, airborne germs,
and unpleasant odors. Carrying tussie mussies close
to their nose to breathe in the herbal fragrance,
people went about their business in Medieval towns
and cities. This practice may have arisen from the
age-old custom of strewing strongly scented herbs
on the floor of homes to freshen the air and protect
against germs and the plague.
But,
it wasn't until Queen Victoria's time that the language
of flowers reached its prime. Every noble and wealthy
young lady of the time learned the symbolism of flowers
and how to make tussie mussies and nosegays for all
occasions. Gentleman communicated
feelings for a lady by sending private and intimate
messages by means of a special bouquet. The young
lady might spend hours researching the identification
of the flower or herb and then the meaning of the
message. Her suitor might not know that his expressions
of love were reciprocal until he saw her wearing the
tussie over her heart.
During
Victoria's time the study of botany and the discovery
of new plants from all over the world brought new
and exciting ideas to the game of flower language.
It was a diversion anda game but tussie mussies had
real use too. Any proper person would carry a sweet
smellingbouquet to ward off the stench coming from
the streets, unwashed bodies, sickness, and decayafter
death. The favored bouquet was one of sweet smelling
violets and they were so popularthat street vendors
sold them everywhere. Some felt that certain combinations
of scents wouldward off illness and even the deadly
plague.
The
Victorians created a language of love with these bouquets,
for each flower or herb used in the arrangement has
a meaning that would have been well understood to
the recipient. If the man sent the lady a bouquet
of forget-me-nots it meant true love, and she mightreciprocate
by sending back a collection of purple lilacs ("I'm
falling in love with you"). He'd be in trouble
if she sent back yellow roses (for infidelity) and
larkspur (for fickleness).
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How
to Make a Tussie Mussie
Making
a tussie-mussie involves the delightful task of arranging
individual flowers and herbs together to compose a
specific message to a friend or loved one. You may
approach this by either gathering plant materials
from your garden, country road, florist or grocery
store, or figure out what you what to convey and determine
which flowers will carry your message. Materials needed
are a central flower, filler flowers and herbs such
as lavender, baby's breath, artemesia, rosemary, ivy,
mint, and violets. Large leaves for framing the outside
of your bouquet might include lamb's ears, scented
rose geranium leaves, hosta or violet leaves. You
will also need floral tape, scissors, a paper or lace
doily, thin ribbon, and a small gift card to list
the flowers and herbs and their meanings.
Strip
the lower leaves from the stems and use a rubber band
or floral tape to bind your bouquet together. The
tussie-mussie should be no larger than six inches
in diameter. Wrap the nosegay in damp moss or a square
of paper toweling covered with foil or floral tape.
You may want to secure with small pins. Place your
bouquet in a paper doily - clipped with an "X"
in the center - or lace collar cone and "lover's
knot" and tie a card to the ribbon conveying
the message
| Meanings
of Flowers and Herbs
Some
plants have kept their symbolic meanings through
the years. These include rosemary, signifying
Remembrance; ivy, Fidelity; lilies, Purity;
laurel, Victory; parsley, Festivity; and rose,
Love. Additional meanings include: artemesia,
Dignity; basil, Best Wishes; Calla lily, Panache;
red geranium, Comfort, Health; hydrangea, Devotion;
sage, Wisdom; pine, Loyalty, Longevity.
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Mother's
Day Tussie Mussie
FLOWERS
- For-get-me-not
- Sweet pea
- Grape hyacinth
- Frill tulips
- 'Bridal Crown'
narcissi
FOLIAGE
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Although traditional
19th-century nosegays were wired, this is a simpler
unwired version. It is easy to put together and makes
an ideal Mother's Day gift. The secret is to choose
flowers with different textures and colours so that
the rings which make up the nosegay are distinct.
The idea of a nosegay is that is scented, so select
fragrant flowers. |
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1.
First condition your cut flowers by snipping their
stems and leaving them in nutireint-enriched water
for several hours. Strip the leaves off all the stems,
but make sure that you remove only the lower leaves
from the for-get-me-nots and the tulips, otherwise
the stems will be very weak. Take a tulip as your
middle or focal flower and surroun it with a ring
of for-get-me-nots. Bind the stems together gently
with raffia. You can make the nosegay in your hand
if this feels comfortable. However, if this feels
awkward, take a vase or a glass to hold the flowers
as you work. |
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2.
Next add a ring of narcissi and then a ring of grape
hyacinths to build up the concentric circles which
will form the nosegay. |
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3.
Add a ring of tulips and tie all the stems in the
nosegay with a piece of raffia. |
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4. The outer ring
of flowers is made of sweet peas. When you have
bound the sweet pea stems with raffia, edge the
whole bunch with glax leaves. These frame the flowers
and help to protect the flower heads. Bind the stems
of galax leaves with more raffia and make a bow.
Trim all the ends
of stems in the nosegay so that it is comfortable
to hold in the hand.
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